Subtitles are our friends

[bigboobedcanuck]

In looking back at Jason O'Mara's IMDB, I see he was in a mini-series called Berkeley Square. This is the kind of thing my parents (and I) love, and I was thinking this would be a great Xmas gift for the 'rents. But, of course, it seems there are no subtitles (thanks to a customer review that notes it), and I can't tell if there are even closed

Comments

[ninamalfoy]

Story of my life. *wry grin* I do feel your dad's pain, yes. So annoying!

You should be glad that you're not German, because hereabouts putting German subtitles on a German movie is not really that common. There's no law or something, it pretty much depends on whether the distributor is mindful of hearing impaired people and/or can spare the cash. I've only been able to watch some German movies because they had at least English subtitles (the only ones!) - NaPolA or Sommersturm especially. And there are still some that I can't watch at all yet because they have zero subtitles - so annoying.

All in all, yeah, when it comes to rare or indie movies, it's pretty much a lottery game to see if there are subtitles on the DVD or on the 'net. *sighs* And yes, the extras/specials! I was so glad that the extras on the Band of Brothers DVD box set were included - unfortunately they were in German, but I'm not complaining. ;-)

[bigboobedcanuck]

Yes, I'm sure you do

[ninamalfoy]

and most annoyingly it's often not listed in the product descriptions on Amazon whether or not a movie is capped or subbed

Oh my God, YES. This so many times. I've had it happen at least a handful of times that a delivered DVD was without subtitles. -.- Best example: 'Friendship', a movie about two guys from the ex-GDR who go to the US immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall to find the one's father. I love the actors in that movie, and was beside myself with joy when amazon listed it with subtitles - only to find out that only the foreign-speaking (i.e. english-speaking) parts of the movies were subtitled (in German)... *headdesksn*

But we were annoyed that the subtitles on the Blu-ray special features weren't provided in English!WTF? Gah, how annoying! I have the German DVD box edition of BoB, borrowed it from a friend... *quickly checks the subtitles for the extras* Wow, they are in both English and German, the video diaries, too. Nice! Though, the DVDs have only German subtitles for the hearing impaired, and 'normal'

[bigboobedcanuck]

It really is SO annoying that they don’t give full info on subtitles. It’s vital information! And as you said, it benefits so many people. I’m not hearing impaired, but there are times when I can’t understand someone’s accent (say a very thick Scottish brogue, for example), or the actor is a mumbler, or whatever. Yet so often I have to go digging for info. I had to email a studio a few months ago to see if there were subs on something my dad wanted. There were, so he bought it, but we shouldn’t have to investigate to find out!

[pghbekka]

So a) I completely agree and b) Not having Blu-Ray, I didn't realize they couldn't display closed captions. That's ridiculous!

[6frog]

I so agree with you about subtitles. As I get older I get deafer and my partner can't cope with the TV loud enough for me to hear... especially when there is a joke. It has become fashionable to drop ones voice for the punch line, I suppose it's a reaction to the olden days when it was shouted out but it is SO frustrating.

The first box (series) I got of QAF US DVDs had subs but then the matching boxes didn't have them. I'm now told that there is another publisher with subs but it gets expensive and I almost know it by heart so I don't think so in these financially straightened times.

I have always felt grateful to the USA for insisting on subs but somehow now we have different areas of DVD they leave them off for us Brits. It seems mean when they've already been done.

Anyway thank you for at least mentioning it.

Love from 6frog